Jeanette Forlano Slaw

In the words of NY Times best-selling author Michael Pollan ("Cooked", Food Rules", "Omnivores Dilemma", "In Defense of Food"), "Eating in our time has gotten complicated -- needlessly so." I could not agree more.

We are bombarded by "experts" with theories on different ways to eat -- meat, no meat, wheat and grains/no wheat and grains; dairy/no dairy, etc. We have to be biochemists to understand all the components of what we're eating and how they might be affecting us; and just when we think we've figured it out, theories change!!!

I'm all about making healthy choices, but I truly like to keep things simple; so let's not forget the simple pleasures of good wholesome real food prepared for and shared with those we love. Perhaps if we adhered to my mother's wise words, "everything in moderation", even eating the "wrong" thing once in a while might not be a problem.Being of Italian heritage, I grew up eating Mediterranean style, although we didn't call it that back then; and I still prefer eating that way. Below are several simple, healthy eating tips for the New Year fromThe Mediterranean Food Alliance, a division of "Oldways Health Through Heritage". Visit their website atwww.oldwayspt.org for lots of sensible healthy eating information and delicious, recipes. Scroll all the way down for links to Michael Pollan's books.